Can opener



T. SCHMIDT Jan. 29, 1952 CAN OPENER 2 sHEETs sHEET 1 Filed March 18,1947 4 M m 9 r 5 i 2 WM, 6 2s o 5 r 2 2 0 J 3 W2 2 M 2 7 II A I. Q ha 22 INVENTOR. ux J Tid TroR/vEy Jan. 29, 1952 sc 2,583,969

CAN OPENER Filed March 18, 1947 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 2 L flfj fj WuINVENTOR.

V u/JZTLCZZ WTTORJVEY Patented Jan. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECAN OPENER Thur Schmidt, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 18, 1947, Serial No. 735,350

2 Claims. (01. 30-9) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein,ii patented may be manufactured and used by or for the Government forgovernmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to can openers of the type employing a rotarycutter, a feed wheel and pressure member to maintain the can in properfrictional engagement with the feed wheel, and has for a primaryobjectto generally improve their construction and operation.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to improve the bodymember or post of can openers of this type by utilizing metal tubing andflattening the same at certain points to provide clearance and mountingfacilities for the rotary cutter, feed wheel and pressure plate.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a canopener of the type described formed primarily of standard stainlesssteel tubing to thereby provide longer. life, ease of fabrication, hightensile strength, and an inherent lustre.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which, t

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the novel can opener in use.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the opener.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the opener with parts brokenaway.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the complete apparatus.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the pressure plate with parts brokenaway to more clearly show the construction, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the numeral l indicates atubular body member formed of standard steel tubing, the steel beingpreferably of the stainless variety having a bright finish. This bodymember or post may be secured to a clamping element 2 by means of rivetsor pins 3, and threaded clamping element 4 is threaded into the baseplate 5 of the clamping element 2 for cooperation with the upper plate 6of the clamping element. If desired, the base plate 5 may be providedwith a plurality of openings l by which the plate may be permanentlyfixed to a table or the like in lieu of being removably clamped theretobetween the clamping elements 5 and 6.

The tubular member I, adjacent its upper end, is flattened for thepurpose of mounting the usual rotary cutter and feed wheel and forproviding the necessary clearance for these members. The lower portionof the flattened section, as clearly indicated in Figure 2, is providedwith a transverse opening in which is mounteda bushing 8, the bushingbeing rotatably mounted and held against endwise movement by means ofclamping plates 9 and I0. These clamping plates are secured to eachother and to the flattened portion of the tubular member by means ofrivets H, and the bushing is held against endwise movement by means ofthe annular flanges l2 and 13 formed on the respective plates andcontacting the en largement I l formed on the periphery of the bushing.This bushing receives the journal l5 of the feed wheel l6 which iseccentrically mounted in the bushing so that the feed wheel l6. may beshifted toward and from the rotary cutter.

The journal I5 is provided with a disc portion ll and this disc isprovided with a central aperture and two diametrically opposed aperturesto receive fastening screw 18 and pins IS the latter being integrallyformed on v the feed wheel and serving to securely lock the same withrespect to the disc ll of the journal [5. The oppositeend of the member15 is provided with flattened por tions to receive similar flattenedportions formed on the wall of an aperture in the handle 20 and a nut 2|is provided for detachably securing the handle in place. The bushing B,as above mentioned, is rotatably mounted for the purpose of shifting thefeed wheel I6, and to this end a handle 22 is passed over the journal I5and secured to the bushing 8 by means of a screw 23.

Slightly above the feed wheel It the flattened portion of the tubularmember 1 is provided with an inclined opening in which is mounted abushing 24 for rotatably supporting the journal 25 of the inclinedrotary cutter 26. This bushing, similar to bushing 8, is held againstendwise movement by flanges 21' and 28 formed on the retaining plates 9and Hi, respectively. The journal 25 is held in position in the bushing24 by suitable locking means such as nut 29.

The pressure plate in this construction is indicated by the numeral 3!!and is provided with the usual pressure feet 3| for cooperation with thefeed wheel 16 in feeding the cans to the cutter 26. The pressure plateis provided with a semi-circular band 32 at its upper end which issecured by means of rivets 32 to a cap portion 33 slidably mounted onthe upper end of the tubular member I. As well understood, the pressurefeet 3| serve to firmly press the flange of the can against the feedwheel l6 and for this purpose the compression spring 34 is employed. Thelower end of the spring 34 engages a washer on the lower end of bolt 35and the upper end of this bolt passes througha central opening in cap 33and has its head 36 resting upon the exterior surface thereof. The upperend of compression spring 34 engages the base of a cup 31, the latterbeing fixedly secured within the upper endaof the tubular member I bymeans of rivets 9.

Rotary movement of the cap 33 with respect to the upper end of thetubular member I is prevented by reason of a vertical slot 4|] formed ina wall of the cap and engaging over a protuberance 4| formed on the postadjacent the upper end thereof. This pin and slot connection serves as aguide for the pressure plate 30, and the plate is further guidedandmaintained in its proper relative position by means of fingers 42formed on the plate 30 and engaging over guide ribs 43 formed by theadjoining edges of the retainer plates 9 and II] for the bushings 8 and24.

In the operation of the device, the arm 22 is swung upwardly in theusual manner to lower the feed wheel I6 and permit introduction of thecan, to be operated upon, into position against the cutter 26;thereafter the handle is swung downwardly to raise the feed wheel andthereby force the can against the cutter and the pressure feet 3|. Inthis operation the pressure plate is guided by the pin and slotconnection 4fl--4l and 'by the fingers 42 on the pressure plate engagedover the ribs 43. The crank may now be operated in the usual way torotate the feed wheel 4. the tensile strength of the apparatus isgreatly increased; that a novel and compact arrangement for thespring-pressed pressure plate is provided, and that means are providedfor accurately guiding the plate at both its upper and lowerextremities.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described what I nowbelieve to be the preferred form of the invention but inasmuch asvarious minor changes may be made in structural details without in anyway departing from the spirit of the invention it is intended that allsuch changes be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A can opener comprising a tubular body member having a flattenedportion, a pair of bushings extending through said flattened portion, arotary cutter journaled in one of said bushings, a rotary feed wheeljournaled in the other of said bushings, and retaining plates securedagainst the flattened faces of said flattened portion and engaging theends of said bushings to secure the same against endwise motion.

2. A can opener comprising a tubular body member having a flattenedportion, a pair of bushings extending through said flattened portion, arotary cutter journaled in one of said bushings, a rotary feed wheeljournaled in the other of said bushings, retaining plates securedagainst the flattened faces of said flattened portion and engaging theends of said bushings to secure same against endwise motion, and apressure plate yieldingly mounted on said member, and flanges on saidretaining plates for guiding said pressure plate.

THUR SCHMIDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,291,514 Warner et a1 July 28,1942 2,361,561 Mueller et a1 Oct. 31, 1944

